All the Best (and Worst) Things
by WatchfulJewel
Summary: Of all the things he thinks about, Chase does think about his family. He thinks about the relationship dynamics and tries to put everything into nice, logical, emotion-free terms. But in the end he almost always ends up thinking about all the best (and worst) things.
1. Adam

It isn't just something that happens every day. It just happens to be something he thinks about. He doesn't notice it most of the time, but when he does it's on his mind for the rest of the day. And so he thinks, because what else can the super intelligent bionic human do all day?

He thinks about all the best things.

Like when it's Monday and he's overslept, and Adam is the one who wakes him up with that gentle, brotherly shove that he loves. Or when the team is finally going on a mission and Adam walks around his siblings, tightening the straps of their packs, straightening their mission suits, checking the equipment _three whole times._ Or even when he isn't around, but he still knows what Adam has been doing when he's not there. He sees the bags rearranged or moved out of the way so no one can trip over them and he realizes Adam is always looking out for everyone in that big mansion.

Like when he wakes up after a cat nap and finds himself wrapped in a blanket, and he knows it's Adam who did it because he can smell the sickening 'morning breath' that goes with his older brother. Or when he's at school and a few kids decide to push him around a bit and Adam walks over, scares them away with just a look, and doesn't speak about it ever because it's embarrassing to need your older brother to save you, but reassuring to know that he'll always be there to do it. Or even when Adam is insulting him, but there's that smile to prove his brother doesn't mean it. Adam doesn't really mean anything bad he says about him.

And when Chase finally falls asleep, still thinking about all the best things about his brother, Adam walks in the door with a cup of frozen yogurt and sees Chase on the couch, smiling in his sleep. So Adam sets down the frozen treat and hunts down a blanket, wrapping it around his baby brother gently so as not to wake him. For half a second as he goes to pull away, Adam could swear he sees Chase open his eyes. But when he turns back a second later, his brother is still sleeping exactly the same. Perhaps he might be smiling a bit wider, though...

* * *

It just happens. Chase doesn't mean anything he says about Adam, not really. He calls Adam an idiot, and he doesn't really _mean_ the insult. It just happens, it's a brother thing. So, logically, Chase should know that if he doesn't mean what he says about Adam, Adam doesn't mean what he says about Chase. Hell, he does know that. It still happens.

He thinks about all the worst things.

Like when he's foolish enough to fall for it, listen to the beginnings of a compliment, and then it somehow always surprises and hurts him when Adam follows through with an insult. Or when he opens himself up for a just a second, like on that freighter, really says something important about himself, and Adam takes the opportunity to insult him in any and every way possible. Or even when he genuinely feels scared or unsure about who he is or what he's doing. Adam never passes up an opportunity to make him feel bad about himself.

Like when he really tried to help Adam, really wanted to take care of his brother, and Adam laughed about how he almost died for a week. Or when Mr. Davenport says something thoughtlessly hurtful, such as 'Hustle and Muscle... and _Chussle'_, and he really thinks that maybe his brother will care enough to stand up for him, but Adam only laughs and piles on. Or even when his life is in danger after he _saved_ their lives. Adam only jokes about his possible death.

And yeah, it really is stupid. But doesn't Chase deserve to be stupid? After working so hard to live up to the standards stacked so high, working so hard to be impressive enough to warrant attention with 'Hustle and Muscle' constantly stealing the spotlight, Chase deserves to at least be bad in his own mind. So Chase can think these things about his brother, these really horrible, angry, verging-on-hate filled thoughts because...who cares? If he complained about any of it he'd never live it down. Chase could already hear the insults about how sensitive and emotional he is. So Chase thinks it quietly in his head as Adam makes another crack about his height and Bree laughs too loud to not be insulting. And it's fine for now, but Chase can feel it coming. He knows he can only take so much before he snaps, and he doesn't know what he'll do when it happens.

And that thought terrifies him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading this short little piece I've written. So, I've been wanting to write this for a while now and it's been distracting me from my other story. This is really just a short little nothing. I'm going to have one chapter for each person in the Davenport-Dooley household, Chase being the last, with one part for the best and one part for the worst. If it sucks, tell me so I can try to suck less in the future. And if anyone thinks this is actually good or cares to read more, I would love suggestions for who to write about next. Finally, I made a few indistinct references to Sink or Swim in here, if anyone noticed.**


	2. Bree

It's always the little things that matter. Those things that no one else seems to notice, but he does. Every time it happens he can't help but see it. He smiles and thinks about what makes her do it. Those little things that make her the best sister in the world, the little things she does without thinking. Only he thinks about them enough for the both of them.

He thinks about the best things.

Like when he's just sitting there with Bree, and she leans against him with her head on his shoulder and falls asleep. Or when he's up way too late working on a project, alone and thinking everyone else has gone to bed, and then Bree walks in and runs a hand through his hair absently as she walks by, like she used to do so often when they were kids. Or even when he's at an all time high-or all time low. Bree is always there to give him that smile that he has to return because her laugh is that infectiously joyous.

Like when he makes a mistake, and Bree is there to laugh it off and cheer him up with just a few jokes. Or when he says the wrong thing at the wrong time, insults Adam the wrong way and they aren't speaking to each other, she takes it upon herself to set him straight and tell him what he's done wrong, help him fix the mess he's made. Or even when there's nothing wrong and everything is perfectly normal for a change. Bree just spends her time with him and that's all she has to do to make him feel special.

Except Chase doesn't have the guts to tell her any of that. So he just smiles at her when she giggles at his joke, setting her precious phone aside to give him her undivided attention. It's the little things she does that make him realize how much he loves her. Those seemingly unimportant instincts, those little, random things she does without thinking. Those are the things that make him feel loved. The things that remind him in hard time and difficult moments that she loves him. That he's her brother and she's his sister. Those are the things that matter most. Only he can't tell her that, so instead he just laughs with her and tries to pour all of his emotion into his eyes. Then her phone _dings!_ and she turns away from him. Sighing, Chase goes back to homework, feeling the harsh sting of rejection even though it's completely irrational.

He doesn't see when Bree looks up at him in confusion, having heard his sigh. She opens her mouth as if to speak, then closes it. Then she tries again-just as her phone beeps. Somehow, it feels wrong to answer that text. It feels like a mistake to slip into her 'Popular Bree' persona and disconnect from the world around her like usual. And when did that become usual? But then her phone beeps again, and she just has to pick it up. Instinctively, she turns completely away from Chase and tucks her chin against her chest as she texts. This time she doesn't look up when he sighs.

* * *

Sometimes it stings. Sometimes there are these little things that feel like a slap in the face. And sure, it's part of growing up. It's part of branching out and becoming different people. It still stings. It feels more like growing apart, and he doesn't like it. And every time he thinks about it, it hurts. So maybe he's weird for thinking about it. Maybe it's some kind of weird form masochism to others, but it's just his nature to think about his problems. It's just who he is.

He thinks about all the worst things.

Like when he opens his mouth to talk to Bree, calls to her and she doesn't even glance up from her phone to acknowledge she even heard his call. Or when he's at school, where he's a social outcast, and he hears Bree talking with her friends and goes over to her, and she looks at him like she's never seen him before and walks the other way. Or even when he's on a mission and he is doing the best he can in the stressful role as Mission Leader. She just can't stop herself from mocking him with Adam or making pointed jokes about appointing a new Mission Leader.

Like when he screws up _one_ time, and Bree just took over his job on the mission and showed everyone how unnecessary and irrelevant to the team he is. Or when he almost got himself killed to prove himself to her, to prove himself as good as her, and he came back from that experience to find a euphoric Bree, who then did a one-eighty and started to snap at him or even pretend he didn't exist. Or even when he finds himself in real need of a sister to comfort and love him. Now that Bree has other friends it seems she doesn't have time for him anymore.

When it was just them, the bionic siblings and Mr. Davenport, it was easy. Bree loved Chase like he was her son. She acted like he was, even though he was just a year younger than her. For the first few years of his life he called her 'Momma'. Then she was 'Bee-Bee', his loving and caring sister. She was proud of his intelligence and would play word games with him all day, almost as if helping him develop his skills. It's hard to do anything but love your little brother when there's only three people in the whole world you've ever met. He always had hours of Bree time every day. Even when she went to play with Adam or to spend time by herself, she was still always in the same room.

Suddenly every other night was a sleepover at Caitlyn's house and between the hours of eight A.M. to three P.M. Bree wouldn't even acknowledge his existence. Then she wouldn't look at him because her eyes were glued to her phone and she would order him to stop talking to her because it was distracting. Suddenly the only time they really had together was on missions, where she made what could be serious cracks about taking his job, his only real achievement. Suddenly, she wasn't his sister anymore. She was a stranger who happened to look a lot like his sister. Chase didn't even know who she was or what she did in her life.

Chase never felt less like a brother.

**Okay, here's the next chapter. I did Bree because that's the suggestion I got, and to answer one reviewer, yes, this is all in Chase's point of view until the last chapter. While we're on that subject, I want to personally thank every one of the five people who took the time out of their busy lives to leave such heartwarming reviews. You really made my day with those kind words. Also my sincere thanks to MoonlitShadowsoftheHumanSoul or either of the staff of his/her community, Best Lab Rats Stories, for being kind enough to add my story. It was so cool to check online and see that. Best surprise I've had in a long time. So, for the next chapter I'm torn between doing Donald or Leo. If anyone cares to give their opinion to help out, it would be much appreciated! Thank you all so much for reading and please review.**


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